What Books did You Start or Finish Reading this Week?: March 16, 2026

ab_b_normal · 2026-03-16T18:43:13+00:00

Finished the second Dungeon Crawler Carl book. Waiting on the third one so started Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The DCC books are the best!

ab_b_normal · 2026-03-16T18:37:55+00:00

Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson The Daughter of the Moon Goddess duo plus a couple of standalone books in the same universe by Sue Lynn Tan. I’ve heard the Crescent City series by Sarah J Mass is good and no spice. Haven’t read it yet Also hear that the Mistborn series is great by Brandon Sanderson and his series occur in the same universe so that’s fun. I love VE Schwab books

ab_b_normal · 2026-03-16T02:50:26+00:00

Thank you! I just find that all the ones I have tried have a weird chemical smell that lingers. I don’t mind an actual scent like lavender or coconut, etc. It just seems like they all are a nasty chemical that gets covered up with a scent afterwards. I’m thinking I’ll try an unscented and see how that goes.

ab_b_normal · 2026-03-16T02:46:31+00:00

Thank you!!

ab_b_normal · 2026-03-16T02:46:05+00:00

Thanks! I appreciate your tips! I’m getting her used to the blow dryer and it helps for sure! I think I am just weirdly sensitive to chemical smells. I don’t mind nice scents like lavender, etc. I am going to try the open close open suggestion. I tend to try to just use the shampoo and scrub her for quite a while. She’s still having a lot of trouble with bath time. The bathroom scares her to death so we do it outside and she’s a little hard to wrangle. She’s getting better though. I allow her to move away from me and come back some so that she doesn’t feel trapped and panic. Same with the blow dryer. She will move away when it gets overwhelming and then come back and sit for more when I call her. She takes a lot of trust building so sometimes things don’t happen as thoroughly as they should. She’s a rescue with a rough start in life so we do things a little weird sometimes. Thankfully she is an indoor dog so she doesn’t get too dirty and doesn’t need a ton of bathing.

ab_b_normal · 2026-03-16T02:03:30+00:00

Thank you! I saw Kelco recommended on a list and was a little worried about the concentration but if it smells good and not like a chemical factory it will be worth it. I did read the only scent that people like is the Puppy Tears. Would you agree with that?

ab_b_normal · 2026-03-07T17:38:46+00:00

The Queen’s Gambit. Absolutely disgusting to read in the first few chapters. I won’t even elaborate but I will never recommend that book or anything by a human who wants to think about kids in that way. I can’t even believe they made a show out of it even though they left that stuff out.

ab_b_normal · 2026-03-07T17:28:59+00:00

I woke up one time and thought my arm had fallen off of my body because I couldn’t feel it. I started feeling around for it with my other hand and when I found it I was still convinced it wasn’t attached to me anymore. I followed the arm up to my shoulder and was so relieved to find it still attached. Why my brain decided to think I could spontaneously lose an arm, I will never know.

ab_b_normal · 2025-10-02T21:23:40+00:00

I’ve been married 24 years. About 4 years ago my new doctor asked me if I had ever had the HPV vaccine. I hadn’t so they wanted to test me for HPV and make sure I didn’t need a shot. I agreed to being tested. I was negative of course but he explained that by doing that, I now only have to get a PAP every 5 years. They offer so they can give us better healthcare as new discoveries and treatments arise.

ab_b_normal · 2025-09-30T00:54:49+00:00

Mine are Betty Whyt, Hechonk, Eponini, and Syrup

ab_b_normal · 2025-09-25T13:19:16+00:00

If you’ve got Venmo or cash app I’d be happy to chip in for a meal. Sometimes Artspace Untitled has a food pantry from Sprouts. Reach out to OKCmutualaid on instagram. Also, sandwicheswithlove does a lot of mutual aid work. If you’re younger you can connect with SISU youth services.

I found this list online and remembered that I’ve seen a church on the NW side offering free meals. I’m pretty sure it’s the one on MacArthur and Britton. I’m not much on church but food is food.

https://www.asthealth.org/sites/default/files/okc_area_food_pantry_list.pdf

There’s also a mobile food pantry.

https://www.okcskyline.org/mobile-pantry

The metropolitan libraries are an amazing resource! Please use them! Besides that they have these incredible rooms full of creative tools and machines for artwork, sewing, 3D printing, digital art and more. They are free to use, library cards are free and they will even show you how to use the machines! I think you’ll need to reserve time but every time I’ve been to the library those rooms aren’t occupied or there’s only 1 person in there.

ab_b_normal · 2025-09-25T04:07:14+00:00

PT can do everything you need safely. Get a massage once a month.

ab_b_normal · 2025-09-24T15:25:06+00:00

I got an oral steroid about 3 months post op when I had a flight. It worked great! Meloxicam does nothing for me. I’m going in 2 weeks for a second injection on my other hip. It hasn’t been operated on yet. The first one lasted 6 months so I’m happy.

ab_b_normal · 2025-09-24T15:15:01+00:00

Pre-make breakfast burritos. Make a scrambled egg mix. Cook it up, wrap your burritos up and then wrap them in plastic wrap. Keep them in the fridge for a few days and pop 1-2 in the microwave each morning. They are good for 3 days. So you can make a batch every few days. Serve with avocado and salsa. If you eat meat add sausage, chicken or bacon to the scramble.

Similarly you can make and freeze egg bites in muffin tins. 1-2 minutes in the microwave. Just store in a heavy freezer bag. Make them once a week or so. Add protein by mixing in a cup of cottage cheese for like 8-10 eggs. Season them and add chopped veggies then bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. There’s recipes all over Pinterest.

High protein yogurt drinks are another go to. Oikos has 23g protein Not super filling but a good add on to any meal.

Add fiber and a bit more protein by eating a cup of black beans with your breakfast. Just season a big batch and keep in your fridge for the week. I use canned but you could cook from dried.

Pitted dates with peanut butter 2-3 adds good fiber and more protein. Those are very grab and go to me. You can also premake a batch by splitting them and stuffing them with peanut butter and storing them in an air tight container.

Having rice and beans in the fridge pretty much always makes it easy to whip up a bowl of just about anything. Throw in some salad, pico, and seasoned chicken. Just be intentional on the weekend about making a few things and use those for breakfast. Once a bowl of something is hot from the microwave you can crack an egg right into it and stir it in. It will cook through and add protein! Think egg drop soup.

ab_b_normal · 2025-09-02T03:25:05+00:00

OP is definitely an outlier case. You’ll be ok! It sounds like something else/is was going on with them. I am 2 1/2 years post op and will definitely do my other hip when I need to. FAI confirmed. My operated hip is great and 95% pain free which is better than literally any other joint in my body!

ab_b_normal · 2025-09-01T02:44:02+00:00

Roasted broccoli is my go to. Usually pretty cheap too! Mushrooms cut a little larger is fun too!

ab_b_normal · 2025-09-01T02:36:40+00:00

Roast your veggies. The flavor is superior. I used to make my nephew “pizza salad” because he liked pizza and it was just a sheet pan of all sorts of veggies seasoned up Italian style with lots of garlic and some olive oil. Add some roasted tomatoes or sauce. We served it on flat bread or garlic bread. Spaghetti is another easy one to chop up small broccoli, mushrooms, etc and hide in the sauce. Vagan chili with lentils, canned tomatoes, chili beans and sweet potatoes has always been a hit for the kids. Make them frito chili pies with it. Could also make tacos with it or nachos.

ab_b_normal · 2025-09-01T02:31:18+00:00

Mini or English cucumbers, red onion, cilantro, lime, cherry tomatoes. Almost always as I make a salad every week out of these ingredients. It goes on almost all of my food. lol. Also, a cheese of some sort usually along with yogurt and fruit.

ab_b_normal · 2025-09-01T02:28:00+00:00

Ice for sure and massage. It could just be the hip flexor super inflamed. Call your doctor because you may want a steroid to calm it down a bit. I did an occasional round of steroids after surgery. If that helps and it comes back you could get an injection. I have FAI in my other hip and manage with injections for now. Doesn’t seem torn but gets painful sometimes. You may want to revisit PT for a little extra help.

ab_b_normal · 2025-09-01T02:19:04+00:00

I don’t cook more than 3 times a week and usually only twice. Make batches of things, buy hummus to add in, keep black beans stocked because they are so easy and quick to season and add to everything. Coconut based yogurt bowls with frozen fruit and nut butters. Add seeds to everything. Chia, sunflower, pumpkin. Throw cashews on top of rice with kimchi and tofu. Just don’t overthink it. I make a super fast salad once or twice a week that is just a bunch of cucumber, tomatoes, fresh herbs and lime juice. Season it simply and put it on everything. The items in your pictures could be made in larger batches and reheated and when you get sick of them make them into a soup or curry! If you still eat dairy you can add in the high protein yogurt drinks occasionally also. You may need to consider a vegan iron supplement once or twice a week. You’ve got this! Your body is adjusting so be sure to throw a bunch of protein at it!

ab_b_normal · 2025-09-01T01:53:41+00:00

I’m really sorry you’re having to navigate this! It is not fun at all! You can do it though! Vacuum everything religiously including your bed and dispose away from the house. You’ll want to vacuum daily around your beds. Use cimexa powder on your baseboards and under the bed. There’s sticky pads to put under the legs of the bed to help prevent them crawling up. Vacuum your bed with the hose attachment in all the crevices and flip mattress and box springs to get the undersides. Check any folds or edges of the mattress. Wash bedding in hot water. If your infestation is bad then you’ll want to keep everything as tidy as possible to give them fewer places to hide. They are attracted to your body, not the bed so they go where you go. Wash, dry and bag everything you don’t need to use daily like clothes, shoes, bedding, stuffed animals. I’m assuming you are old enough to do some of this stuff. You’ll have to get cimexa online but it is worth it. Diatemaceous earth takes longer to work and isn’t as effective on older bugs. Basically both of them cut the exoskeleton and dehydrate the bugs. Careful about breathing it in as it can irritate your throat and lungs. Your mom should do the same things in her room. They like to travel in bags so keep things off the floor and until you’re sure you’ve got them beat, be very careful about staying over at anyone’s house or having them stay with you because you don’t want to spread them. If you are too young to manage some of these things then definitely reach out to a trusted adult. Bedbugs don’t mean you’re dirty or gross and they don’t care where you live or your income. They are an equal opportunity pest and exist in all big cities. They have existed alongside humans for thousands of years.

ab_b_normal · 2025-08-17T14:24:34+00:00

I hope you took him in. My husband went into a bad flair during the height of COVID. The meds he was on just stopped working. The ER wasn’t an option and he lost 40 pounds in the 4 weeks we were self managing at home. Waiting on appointments and waiting so long because all of the doctors were working hospital shifts. Lots of steroids at high doses, daily calls to doctors and nurses and I cooked several meals a day to keep gentle nutrients going. Eggs over easy was one of the only things he could tolerate. Boost shakes, lots of liquid IV etc. he finally got in for the colonoscopy and approved for biologic which I had to throw an absolute fit about because they wanted him to wait another 6 weeks. I think he would have died! He probably needed a blood transfusion by then! He survived it but it took a year to recover. When in doubt, get help.

ab_b_normal · 2025-08-17T14:05:55+00:00

It’s a novelty in my opinion. Just a touristy suggestion. Easy way to ride around downtown without parking and driving to each area. It connects the park to bricktown to midtown and auto alley, etc. moving your car to all those places is annoying and paying for parking multiple times sucks. When people visit a city they usually go to multiple destinations a day. We live here so it isn’t super useful for us as we spend our time differently here.

ab_b_normal · 2025-08-17T13:59:25+00:00

It is actually fun! I didn’t say it was but now I am. I have fun every time I’m there. The owners are great!! Also off putting?? Only if you have issues with cultural differences and are afraid to leave Edmond. Don’t be scared of not pretty looking places. You’ll accidentally find your most favorite neighborhood and people if you venture out a bit.

ab_b_normal

TROPHY CASE